Panelists include Congressman Jesús García, Hon. Luis Pierluisi, Governor of PR, Dr. Felix Rodriguez Schmidt, Sec. PR Dept. of Health, as well as, health, medical & human services experts, researchers and business & community leaders .

The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago, in partnership with several organizations from across the nation, are collaborating to hold the first virtual Puerto Rican/Latinx Health Summit. The virtual summit is being live-streamed on April 21-22 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. CST. To view the event, register here: http://puertoricanhealthsummit.com/.

The purpose of this health summit is to examine and disseminate the latest data and information concerning the state of Latinx Health. The summit will offer engaging discussions on the many social, economic, educational, and political determinants of healthcare that impact the social well-being of Puerto Ricans and other Latinx communities.

Over the past year, public attention has been solely focused on COVID-19 infections, testing, deaths, and vaccinations… for all the right reasons.

“Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to the fact that there has been a significant increase in deaths among minorities and other vulnerable groups beyond the pandemic. This is primarily due to the fact that minority communities experienced poor access to quality medical care and poor management of chronic conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular conditions,” stated, Aida L. Giachello PHD, Chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda’s Health and Wellness Committee.

“In fact, overall health conditions in our Latinx communities are worsening with depression and social isolation, with substance abuse, including opioids and prescription drugs and a host of other acute and chronic diseases, emphasized, Ms. Giachello… It’s time to address this situation!” Health professionals, news media and other interested parties are encouraged to attend the virtual summit free of charge.

The Puerto Rican/Latinx Health Summit will include topics, such as:

— The Impact of Systemic Racism & Inequities on health; mental health, alcohol, and substance abuse, including opioids and prescription drugs.

— Understanding the health of Latinx LGBTQ+; management of chronic diseases (In Spanish).

— Issues of access to quality care; COVID-19 updates on infections, testing, vaccinations

— Updates on research studies and training and mentorship opportunities, among many other topics.

The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago is grateful for the sponsorship and financial support of companies and organizations, including the National Network of Library of Medicine-Midwest Region with the NIH All of Us Program; Blue Cross and Blue Shields of IL, Cigna Health Insurance, Walmart of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rican Association of Retailers, Cabrera Capital, Markets, Inc. In addition, we appreciate the collaboration of academic institutions, including the University of Illinois-Chicago’s Institute for Minority Health Research, Northwestern University, Dept of Preventive Medicine’s research on Disparities In Sleep and Cognition among Older Adults (DISCO), the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative; the Puerto Cultural Center, El Rincón community services, Pilsen Wellness, HAS, Inc., ASI NE Healthcare Services, Humboldt Park Health, and Healthy Communities Foundation.

If you can’t attend the entire two days of the health summit, the sessions will be recorded in English with Spanish versions available on our website and social media. For more information and to register, please visit: puertoricanhealthsummit.com and stay informed via our social media: https://twitter.com/prhealthsummit , https://www.facebook.com/Puerto-Rican-Health-Summit-109963021144735 , https://www.instagram.com/puertoricanhealthsummit/

About The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago:
The Puerto Rican Agenda of Chicago is a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization that addresses issues of social and economic inequities in the areas of housing, education, health/mental health, economic development, and many other critical issues that impact Puerto Ricans and other Latinx communities.